Operations

From Graphics to Vehicle Wrap: Inside the Upgrade

Stuart Aust, owner of Bug Doctor, added a new wrap to his Animal Doctor truck (above picture). The new wrap features animals in larger print, paw prints, and a bright green color. Photos courtesy of Stuart Aust.

“The Animal Doctor truck originally had big bold letters,” says Stuart Aust, owner and president. “We were doing good with the old truck, but we wanted to give a vehicle wrap a try.”

The fleet is made of several pest control divisions: 15 trucks for Bug Doctor, 10 trucks for Bird Doctor, one truck for Bedbug Doctor, and one truck for Animal Doctor. The trucks are a mix of Ford F-150s, Ford Rangers, Toyota Tacomas, and Chevrolet Silverados, which are on a three-year lease. Each truck gets a customized commercial cap and a toolbox on the driver’s side.

Aust started the company as a mom-and-pop operation in Paramus, N.J., in 1992. As the company has grown, he has expanded the pest control divisions and added more vehicles. Bug Doctor has served as the official pest control company for the New York Yankees for 16 years.

In 2015, Bug Doctor moved from 100 to 92 on the list for the U.S. largest pest control companies. This year, the company is up about 10% in revenue, says Aust. Animal Doctor’s revenue is specifically up over 200% — close to 50% of the company’s leads are for Animal Doctor.

“We are going wild with birds, bats, and snakes,” says Aust. “Nuisance animal wildlife control is a big deal now. We recently trapped a raccoon at the local airport.”

Billboard on Wheels

While presenting a seminar at a wildlife conference, Aust saw several pest control companies’ vehicles — with wraps — in the parking lot. “I took photos of the vehicles for ideas,” he says.

Working with a vehicle wrap company, Aust wanted the wrap to include animals in large print as well as paw prints. “We wanted it to have a friendly look,” says Aust. “We’re all about humane animal control; we use one-way tunnels for squirrel removal and bat cones.”

The wrap also added color to the truck; it’s green with a white commercial cap on top. All the other fleet vehicles — including the former Animal Doctor truck — are white with company logos.

Additionally, the new wrap features the company logo on four sides of the truck, not just three sides. The logo is now added to the back of truck, says Aust.

So far, the new vehicle wrap has gained a lot of attention on the road. “Our truck is a billboard on wheels,” says Aust. “Omar, our Animal Doctor technician, says that people are constantly waving and taking pictures of the truck while he is on the road.”

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